Turbofan gas turbine engines are used to power aircraft. Turbofan gas turbine engines typically include a fan that accelerates air to provide thrust and an engine core that drives the fan. The engine core typically includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses air drawn into the engine and delivers high pressure air to the combustor. In the combustor, fuel is mixed with the high pressure air and is ignited. Products of the combustion reaction in the combustor are directed into the turbine where energy is extracted to drive the compressor and the fan. Leftover products of the combustion are exhausted out of the engine core to provide additional thrust.
Dirt and grime is accumulated in turbofan gas turbine engines from atmospheric air ingested and fuel burned during operation. As dirt and grime build up in turbofan engines, the performance of those engines may be reduced due to aerodynamic and frictional losses. To reduce the dirt and grime in a turbofan gas turbine engine, a cleaning agent (usually water) may be sprayed at the fan of the engine while the fan is rotating, which, in turn, moves the water through the rest of the engine including the engine core. However, on account of the shape of the fan, much of the water may move through a bypass duct around the engine core rather than through the engine core. This bypassed cleaning agent does not aid in cleaning the engine core components. Use of this approach for cleaning a turbofan gas turbine engine may result in wasted cleaning agent and longer required cleaning times.